Replies

Why do these economic "the sky is falling" chicken littles always sell gold?

Maybe because 3,000 years of recorded human history now points conclusively to the dollar being one more in a long series of currencies going bust? Or perhaps you can point to one case in human history where an unbacked fiat currency has been printed to infinity from thin air, where it did NOT go bust? Let's see...the Roman Denarius? The French Assignat? The Weimar Deutsch Mark? Can you point to one, please?

The "Chicken LIttles" you cite are students of economic history, and they are whispering to you that it might be a good time to move toward the lifeboats. But if you believe Captain Smith, and want to remain on the bridge, that's your decision.

What Chicken Little dares to say there is danger ahead? This is the greatest ship ever created by man! Why, it's engines, right now, are running at record RPMs! It is bigger, faster, and stronger than any ship ever built befor it! There is absolutely nothing in the future which can be a possible risk to this mighty vessel! This great ship even incorporates the very latest in watertight compartmentation advances, and it is virtually usinkable. So anybody who is spreading rumors about the danger of icebergs ahead is a doom and gloom nay-sayer! Full speed ahead!"

"Maybe because 3,000 years of recorded human history now points conclusively to the dollar being one more in a long series of currencies going bust?"

You say that like it's a bad thing. If it takes a wheelbarrow full of cash to buy a loaf of bread, then it will take a freight train full of cash to buy your house...the opposite of a housing "real estate crash."

If your currency is near-worthless, then you can't buy a bunch of imported Chinese crap, either. Suddenly the trade deficit goes away.

People start making their own bread (easier than carting around a wheelbarrow full of cash). Factories start producing things *here* rather than in some 3rd world sweatshop.

And everyone with a home mortgage gets to pay it off with worthless money...by the wheelbarrowfull.

Look around, Americans have a lot of debt. Well, if the Dollar crashes so far that it's about worthless, then all of that personal, car, home, and credit card debt gets paid off for just about nothing. You sell one loaf of bread for a wheelbarrow full of money and suddenly you've got enough cash to pay off your home mortgage.

I suspect quite a few people could live with that sort of "catastrophe."

[Maybe because 3,000 years of recorded human history now points conclusively to the dollar being one more in a long series of currencies going bust? Or perhaps you can point to one case in human history where an unbacked fiat currency has been printed to infinity from thin air, where it did NOT go bust? Let's see...the Roman Denarius? The French Assignat? The Weimar Deutsch Mark? Can you point to one, please?]

If my next comments insult you, then I apologize in advance, I mean no disrespect.

This sounds like something that has been taken out of context and regurgitated from an economics professor. Maybe an article somewhere?

The issue with currency of olden times when cultures foregone switched from trading commodities, goods and services directly to "money", which only represented the commodities, goods and services is that they did not understand what we now consider basic economics. They invented inflation and we only know how and why it exists because of that 3,000 years of history. Civilization has come a long way. A monetary value of currency is based on the availability of it. The harder it is to get, the more it is worth. We only know that because cultures before us just kept printing more to make themselves "wealthy". Before long the proverbial bucket was worth more than all the money you could stuff inside it. Our Guvmnt now keeps a pretty tight reign on how much money is in circulation going as far as to consider and research how much American money is being manufactured outside of the US (counterfeit).

If you think we are done learning about economics check again. Half of this country still does not understand how lowering the tax burden on the American population actually adds tax revenue to the Guvmnt. In fact, I would argue that no one can yet tell how low you have to go in taxes before you reach the "point of diminishing returns" and reverse the historic affect of lowering taxes (economic growth).

" But if you believe Captain Smith, and want to remain on the bridge, that's your decision."

Ok that was a good example and I suppose I could could find many good examples for my argument but why waste the time. What will you do if our currency just go bellyup overnight? Will a closet full of gold help? No, the govt will either confiscate it or someone else will steal it. If they don't, what the heck will you use it for? The power vacuum will be filled and I'm sure our new masters will have plenty for us to do.

I think there are better ways to prepare yourself for potential problems of any kind.